


Look This Way Forever

by deliciousshame



Series: AoKuro Week 2017 [3]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Artists, AoKuro Week, AoKuro Week 2017, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-29 04:42:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10846698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deliciousshame/pseuds/deliciousshame
Summary: Tetsuya wouldn't have thought he was the type to fall in love at first sight. The song he's already writing in his head is just another proof he was wrong.





	Look This Way Forever

**Author's Note:**

> For day three of AoKuro Week 2017, prompt: performance arts AU.

He only comes because Kagami-kun tells him to. While he can appreciate the skills and effort it takes for one to become a talented dancer, it doesn’t especially catch his interest most of the time. Still, he respects Kagami-kun’s professional opinion, and if he says this representation is worth it, then it surely is. 

That’s how he found himself sitting at the back of a small theatre, watching the curtain rises over a black stage and a pair of performers. Tetsuya spares a minute to wonder at how hard dancing must be when one is a woman as buxom as the one standing next to her partner, a tall, dark man, before the show starts. 

Usually, when he goes to dance representations, Tetsuya finds himself lost in the music and often forgets to watch the dancers, but no one in the room could possibly ignore the presences on the stage. Their every move demands the whole room’s attention. He’s entranced, like every single other person in the room.

Time flies like it always does in the presence of true art, but there is one moment, only a few seconds, when Tetsuya feels like his eyes meet the male dancer’s. It’s almost impossible, what’s with him being all the way back and shrouded in darkness on top of being generally unnoticeable, and yet Tetsuya can read in those dark eyes the thrill of the dance, rising exhaustion and love of his craft, all that on top of what he can’t discern.

Then the connection breaks as he seamlessly slides into another movement.

Tetsuya thinks he might be in love. 

_____________________

He goes home and starts writing. He knows he has to do it while inspiration strikes. He lets the notes and the dance moves stir his pen. He usually writes the lyrics first, but tonight it’s a melody that rings in his ears, begging to be put to paper and then played. 

The lyrics aren’t far. They lurk at the back of his head, but he’s not there yet, and it’s late. He’ll work on them tomorrow. 

_____________________

“So, how was it? They’re good, right?”

Tetsuya slurps on his milkshake and stays calm. “It was fine.”

Kagami-kun stares at him like he just insulted his mother. “It was fine. You went to see Momoi and Aomine, and you thought it was _fine_!? Have you secretly been thinking I suck since the day we met?”

Tetsuya is offended. “Of course not. You’re a very talented dancer.”

“If I’m very talented, they can’t just be _fine_. I’ve been dancing for a few years. They’re both classically trained ballet dancers from dancing families. They’ve been at it since they were four. I know when I’m outclassed, okay? I wouldn’t have sent you see someone that isn’t amazing anyway.”

Ballet dancers? “That wasn’t ballet.”

Kagami-kun rolls his eyes at him. “Wow, you managed to notice that much. From what I heard, they were really good, but Aomine wasn’t into it, so they went rogue together. Pissed off their families and all. Gotta love the art world. They’re doing more contemporary styles now.” 

Lovers defying their families to do what they’re passionate about together. It would make for a beautiful musical. “They must be a formidable couple.”

Kagami-kun snorts. “You could say that. Momoi is pretty nice, but Aomine can be a pain to deal with.”

“Which is which?” If Kagami-kun is going to give Tetsuya the life stories of strangers, he would like to know at least this much. 

“Aomine is the guy. Aomine Daiki. Momoi Satsuki is the girl.”

Aomine-kun is his name. “I see.”

“…Is there something going on here? Am I missing something?”

“No.”

Damn it, he answered too quickly. Kagami-kun is frowning. This isn’t good. He should change the subject before this worsens. “Don’t you have a performance coming up? When is it again? Should I come?”

“…Well, I do have a thing coming up, and you should totally be there. I’ll text you the address later when the details are confirmed.”

His distraction worked. Tetsuya is good. “I’ll be there.”

_____________________

Tetsuya failed. “What is this?”

“It’s the thing I told you about.”

This is not the kind of “thing” Tetsuya expected. “Why are those people here too?”

“It’s a gathering. It’s full of other artists, you’ll fit right in.”

Tetsuya does not think he’ll fit right in with all these living models of human perfection, all tall and slightly muscular and graceful. Damned dancers. He’s small and pale and unseen most of the time. He would stand out like a sore thumb if someone could somehow notice him. 

He always enjoyed the part of Kagami-kun that never held the fact that he was a bit too normal against him. Kagami-kun never judged him for anything but his talent. It’s just that sometimes, he doesn’t notice things he should because of it. Like this time.

They are in a small pub with a small clear area in a corner. It’s probably used for karaoke. Tetsuya orders some food from a waitress that seems to resent him for interrupting her attempts at flirting with another guest. 

He sits down and looks around their table. Or he would, but some people leave for the karaoke corner? Are they singing? Is that why Kagami-kun brought him here? He throws an interrogating look at him, but Kagami-kun shushes him with a move and gestures for him to keep looking over there. So he does. 

There’s a blond man, whom he had taken for another dancer, reciting lines. An actor? Are they doing a play? Here? Maybe just some improvisation? 

He’s quickly joined by a black-haired man, and they get into what seems like a practiced sketch. Their whole table is watching the two actors, as do quite a few of the other patrons. They’re pretty good, and Tetsuya claps politely when they’re done. They exit the area and are quickly replaced by other members of this gathering. Tetsuya gets what is happening now. The owner is probably a friend of one member or another, and they’re using the place to hold their party. 

That’s okay. Tetsuya much prefers to watch all those people perform than have to talk to them, especially regarding the dancer that caught his eyes, who is currently chatting with his girlfriend. That would just be awkward.

After a while, Kagami-kun taps on his shoulder. “You’re up next.”

Tetsuya freezes. “What.”

“It’s gonna be your turn.”

“No it’s not.”

Kagami-kun grins at him, that jerk. “Yes it is. It’s that kind of gathering. It would be super rude of you not to perform.”

Right in his weak point. Tetsuya does not want to be rude. “Am I supposed to sing _a capella_?”

“I brought your guitar.”

Kagami-kun is far too pleased with himself. “You couldn’t have.”

“You need a better roommate. I asked and he gave it to me.”

Ogiwara-kun is going to hear from him. You don’t just hand over a musician’s instrument to some stranger. Not that Kagami-kun is a stranger, but the point still stands.

“You really want me to go over there and sing.” Really. Now. In front of _him_.

“Yup. In fact, take your guitar now, they’re almost done.”

Tetsuya pulls out the guitar from its case. “Why did you even bring me here?”

“Don’t worry about it. Just go!”

Tetsuya still wants to complain. He didn’t even get to prepare anything. He just has to improvise. 

At least he has his own guitar. Using a familiar instrument will help.

He gets into the right head space. Without his conscious will, his fingers start playing the opening notes of his newest composition. His public doesn’t know they’re the first to hear that one song. Hopefully he won’t mess up. 

It goes as well as it could be expected. Tetsuya does not mess up his song despite his lack of familiarity with it. He only glances in _his_ direction once. He doesn’t want to be serenading a stranger here. Still, when he looks over there, trying his hardest to make it just another casual glimpse at his audience, he finds Aomine-kun staring back at him, and his heart skips a beat that gratefully doesn’t translate into his singing. Of course Aomine-kun is looking. Everyone at their table is. It doesn’t mean anything. 

The song ends. He’s met with the same kind of polite applause everyone else got, so he figures he did decently. 

“Hey, I never heard that one.”

That’s Kagami-kun, obviously still too pleased with himself. “It’s a new composition.”

“It was pretty good.”

Tetsuya could do without Kagami-kun’s overenthusiastic back pats or his arm holds, but since it’s Kagami-kun, he allows it. For a little while. “Please let go of me.”

“Nope. I know you like it, don’t be shy.”

Great, he’s blushing now. He needs new friends. 

“So that’s Kuroko-kun! It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m Momoi Satsuki! That’s Dai-chan! Don’t mind him, he’s got no manners.”

Aomine-kun rolls his eyes at her. “I’m the one with no manners here, right.”

Tetsuya glares at Kagami-kun. He never told him they knew each other. Tetsuya thought he was just sharing dance gossip. Worse, they know him. What did Kagami-kun tell them. “I’m Kuroko Tetsuya. It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”

Kagami-kun turns his attention toward Momoi-san. “Your show went well?”

But it’s Aomine-kun who answers. “Of course it did, who do you think you’re talking to?”

“I wasn’t talking to _you_.”

“Too bad, I replied anyway. What are you gonna do about it?”

Momoi-san shakes her head. “I’m sorry about them. They’re been like that around each other since they entered the same competition and Kagami-kun got second place behind Dai-chan. Poor Dai-chan got spooked.”

“When was that?” Tetsuya never heard about that. That’s surprising. 

“A few months ago, I think.”

“I see.” Tetsuya sort of remembers Kagami-kun telling him about winning a prize around that time, but no words about someone like Aomine-kun.

“Never mind that, tell me about you! It’s rare for this group to see new faces. How did you and Kagamin meet?”

“It’s not much of a story. We went to the same high school. He saw me at an open mic and recognized me. We went from there.”

“Oh, I see. And we did you start dating?”

Tetsuya chokes on his glass of water. “Excuse me?”

Momoi-san hands him her handkerchief. “You don’t have to worry about it. We’re a pretty open bunch. In fact, who’s sleeping with who is a bit of a local sport. I’m just curious about the man that caught Kagamin’s heart!”

Kagamin. “We’re not dating.”

Momoi-san lets out a polite little laugh. “Are you sure? Because he seems very fond of you.”

Kuroko gives her as much side eye as he can without being rude to someone he just met. “As far as I know, Kagami-kun is uninterested in men.”

Momoi-san stares at him with wide eyes. “You’re kidding.”

“I’m not.”

“He’s not even bi?”

“Not as far as I know. Contrarily to what you seem to believe, I don’t really care.”

“Even though he’s a dancer?”

“You’re being prejudiced. Also, what would your boyfriend think about that kind of talk?”

She frowns. “My who?”

It’s Tetsuya’s turn to be confused. “Aomine-kun? Kagami-kun said you were together since childhood.”

“No! Well, yes, but not like that! Damn it, this always happens! I need to arrange a duo with my girlfriend. Maybe that would help.”

“Oh.”

It’s Momoi-san to give him the side eye. “You’re not straight. I mean, I already knew that, you never even once looked down my cleavage, but I’m even more sure now.”

Why is he having this conversation with a complete stranger? Why is he here? Kagami-kun owns him so much. “And that matters because...?”

“As I was saying, most people here aren’t? They might be interested to know that. And we really thought you were Kagamin’s boyfriend even before tonight. He was always talking about you.”

There is apparently an assembly of unnaturally attractive dancers (more or less) that likes to speculate about his and Kagami-kun’s sex life. How is this happening. “This has been very pleasant, but I think I’m going to take my leave now. Good evening. Kagami-kun, I’m going.”

Kagami-kun takes a few seconds out of his increasingly agitated argument with Aomine-kun to look at him. “What, why? Don’t go, the night is just getting started.”

“I’m sorry, but I really have to go.” Nothing good is going to come out of this thing. He’s starting to get scared by the glint in Momoi-san’s eyes. Also, he thinks the blond actor might be looking his way, and that’s another thing he doesn’t want to have to handle. 

“I’ll walk you to the station. You’re not that familiar with the area, right?”

Now that he knows, he can see how people could interpret Kagami-kun’s well-meaning concern as romantic interest. They’re wrong, but he can see it. “I managed to find my way here, I’ll manage to get back.”

Kagami-kun snorts. “Yeah, thirty minutes after everyone else. I know you just tried your “I’ve been there since the beginning” shtick again. You got lost, admit it.”

“You really don’t have to bother.”

“Yes, Kagamin, forget it. Dai-chan will go.”

“What! Satsuki, the hell!”

“We have practice early tomorrow, and if I don’t send you to bed now you’ll just sleep right through your alarm. Go, go!” She gestures him out.

“Fine, whatever. Let’s go.” That’s addressed to him, Tetsuya guesses. 

Well, there are worse things. “Okay.”

At that, Kagami-kun turns toward him, but Tetsuya deliberately stares ahead and doesn’t meet his eyes. He does catch Kagami-kun exchanging _a look_ with Momoi-san. He’s so happy he getting out of there. 

Until he finds himself walking down the busy street alone with Aomine-kun. That’s a sudden reminder that yes, Aomine-kun is ridiculously attractive and apparently not in a relationship with Momoi-san, not that it changes anything for him. Nothing at all. He’s a complete stranger to Aomine-kun. 

He’s struggling to find something interesting or intelligent to say, but he’s beaten by Aomine-kun. “You were good earlier.”

Tetsuya prays that the low evening light will hide the blush blossoming on his cheeks. “You were good too.”

Aomine-kun turns his head toward him. “You saw me dance? When?”

“About two weeks ago? You had a representation with Momoi-san in Chiyoda.”

“Oh, that. Did we meet then? I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere.”

 _Oh, our eyes met and I knew you were my soulmate._ Somehow, Tetsuya doesn’t think that would work very well. 

Then again, Aomine-kun is the one that brought it up, so maybe he wouldn’t sink as soon as he said it. Not that he will. Not this obviously. “We never talked, but maybe you saw me in the crowd.”

“…That must be it.”

The silence engulfs them again. Until “You sure? You feel… familiar.”

Aomine-kun really needs to stop throwing him lines. They start sounding like, well, lines. “I do think I would remember meeting you. You’re very striking.” That’s the farthest Tetsuya is willing to go right now. 

Staring at someone without looking like you’re staring at them is an art Tetsuya never had to perfect, considering no one ever notices him staring. He has to be very careful while trying to figure out Aomine-kun’s reaction.

Except Aomine-kun is looking at him. That makes it pretty much impossible. Tetsuya goes back to staring straight ahead, half wishing they would arrive at the station already, half hoping it’s still hours away. 

“So I’m striking.”

Tetsuya should have kept his mouth shut. “You must be aware of this fact already. You don’t exactly blend in the crowd.”

Aomine-kun shrugs. “It’s not always a blessing.”

“But it helps when your career edges on you being remarkable.”

“It doesn’t. It rests on me being better at it than everyone else. That doesn’t have anything to do with what I look like.”

Maybe he hit a sore point. “I’m sorry. That was thoughtless of me.”

Then Aomine-kun takes a second, good look at him. “What is it?”

“I just don’t hang around a lot of people that apologise and are honest about it. Maybe I’ve been hanging out with the wrong crowd all my life.”

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t hang around apologetic people either.”

Aomine-kun laughs. It’s a beautiful sound. Tetsuya doesn’t think he could compose a song half as melodious, but he will certainly try later. “Yeah, Kagami is a lot of things, but definitely not apologetic.”

What can he do to keep that smile on Aomine-kun’s lips? He doesn’t know, but he would love to. 

He doesn’t really know how to feel when he realises the station is in sight. But then it turns out they’re going in the same direction, so they sit side by side, like they’re two friends instead of barely acquaintances. 

“What are you singing.”

Tetsuya stops at once. “Nothing.”

“Come on, tell me. One of yours?”

He has no idea what he was singing under his breath. Probably just a song to be but not there yet. “Yes.”

“Sounds good. Sing it to me?”

“Here?”

“Sure, why not. We’re alone in the car.”

That’s not strictly true. There’s a salaryman sleeping a few seats over and a couple of teenage girls chatting together at the other end. They probably wouldn’t notice the train was on fire unless smoke obstructed their view of their phones. “It’s not even done.”

“So sing the part you know. I don’t care. Far from me to interrupt your creative process.”

Obviously, Aomine-kun isn’t going to take no for an answer. “Fine, just don’t expect too much.”

That’s how he ends up letting out a few unpredictable notes in a low voice in a train riding home, Aomine-kun sitting a bit too close for comfort, their thighs resting against each other’s. 

“Sorry, that’s my station.”

Tetsuya blinks. How long has he been singing to himself, unaware of the passage of time? The girls have left. He blinks himself out of it. “I thought you didn’t apologise.”

“I said I didn’t hang out with people that apologise, but you’re right, I’m not really one for apologies. Maybe you just bring out that side of me. Look, I really have to go or I’ll miss my stop, but here’s my phone number. Call me. Thanks for the song, it was pretty.”

And he escapes through the door, leaving Tetsuya to wonder if the whole evening was a fever dream and he’ll wake up next morning sick like a dog. And yet. He clenches the piece of paper he left him. There’s a phone number but also an email address. 

Tetsuya smiles. He’ll have to do something about that.


End file.
